The gorgeous Fall is beginning to turn into late Fall. A time when the colors dull, the leaves need raking (or mowing) and there is a certain ominous chill in the air. One that warns us all, to get ready for Winter, because it is coming whether we like it or not.
Writing about my running this week has been rather hit or miss, with miss being an optimistic word.
I have been running, but my evenings (when I usually write my RunLog posts) have been devoted to reading, watching, researching, thinking about training, coaching, who’s program I fit best, and what kind of race I am looking for in the Spring.
While I haven’t made my final choices yet. I put together a base training schedule that should fit both my personality (as weird as it is) and also what I need to do, through the end of the year. This one actually makes sense to me and is based pretty much on a particular training philosophy that I may or may not use going forward.
As a result of all this “thinking” what is the result?
I am still “thinking”, but have things narrowed down to the following (in no particular order):
Luke Humphrey Running — Hanson Method
I know that there others out there that I could look closer at (and still might), but for now, I am on information overload and these have stood out as possible programs for me. I have the feeling that I could choose any one of these and be successful — if I stuck with the program. Although, a couple of the training program/philosophies/run clubs do interest me more than others.
That has always been the problem (not sticking to a program or getting injured). I have used some of these programs in the past with varying levels of success, so there is a familiarity factor to look at as well. Most of the time however, the problems that I encountered previously with them, were less of the program’s fault’s and more that I over-estimated where I was as a runner. As a result, I either couldn’t do the workouts as designed or got injured by attempting to do too much, too soon.
Now, I have a good idea of where I am in my training and abilities. Which gives me a much better chance of succeeding over the unrealistic thinking that lead to my training choices in the past. Belief that I will succeed in whatever program I choose is necessary. Otherwise, I won’t bother even attempting to use it.
Choices, choices.
Last week, my running looked like this:
Mostly easy running, where I focused on getting the run done and not worrying too much about pacing. I even managed to get a nice 4.0-miler in with TheWife, which was something we both enjoyed. I have also been working on the spreadsheet a bit and really like the Rolling 7-Day total. I believe that this is a very important metric to keep track of. One that I know when I didn’t track it in the past, is one of those reasons I got in trouble a few times (too many miles in a 7-day period), and then wondering why I felt like crap.
All-in-all an excellent week indeed, but I am going to start incorporating more rest days into the equation. That idea of at least one non-running day a week is something that I have to do and not be quite as fixated on my monthly and weekly mileage totals. Yes, I do think too much about how many miles I get in.
The running shoe rotation is doing well — well mostly.
After putting the 361 Degree Flames in the bottom drawer, to save them for racing rather than training — now I will have to figure out when to use them. Although, I imagine I will get them out a couple of times a month, just to keep the body used to how they feel. At least, until I decide if they will be the shoe I use for my goal race or not. If I don’t use them, then I will start training more often in them.
Also, I figured out that the ASICS Magic Speed are not a go fast shoe for me. They are more of a daily trainer that I can go fast in, but feel better at slower paces for me. Just one of those misnamed shoes that work differently for how I run, then they do for others.
In other figuring it out news, as much as I love the Puma Deviate Nitros, the fit is just not working for me. My toes feel to scrunched and my heels (even with the modifications I have made to the heel counter are turning my heels red and if I run more than 4-5 miles, I begin to wonder when the blisters will form. I have a feeling that they will go away at some point, which is a shame, because I do run well in them, but they are not gentle on my feet.
Although I have to admit, the ASICS Glideride v1s do make me smile when I run in them. There is something about those shoes that I enjoy running in, even at the slower paces that I am doing now.
However, the Karhu Ikoni 2020 are an odd mixture that I have a feeling won’t be ones that I will be using much this winter. The outsole rubber isn’t grippy on wet tar and when I ran in temps under forty degrees. Both of which will happen up heah — sooner than later. I also noticed that the midsole seemed to be a lot firmer — and the midsole is fairly firm to begin with. I love the fit and ride, but I am not enamored with the grip on wet roads and how they are firming up a bit too much as it gets chillier up here. They are in wait and see mode for a while.
I might have to look at a couple of others that may not be quite as comfy to run in. However, they don’t have those issues until it warms up again, or I am able to go back to the gym to use the treadmill. Then again, I might just go with the Glideride v1’s more, and not worry about rotating them as often with other shoes or use the Magic Speeds as daily trainers. When I think about it, that might be a nice solution, especially when I feel faster in the Glideride v1’s than I do the Magic Speeds.
Lots to think about.
It was the week that I was looking for in my training, now to make the choice about how I will be training for my goal race next spring. I also made some difficult decisions regarding my running shoe rotation which will mean more shoes to the give-away pile once the all the supply chain issues are ironed out. Which from the looks of things won’t be until next Spring.
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